Sunday, Toyko, Japan
VICTORIA MILE-G1, ¥177,460,000 (US$2,219,915), Tokyo, 5-13, 4yo/up, f, 1600mT, 1:32.40, fm.
1--WHALE CAPTURE (JPN), 121, f, 4, by Kurofune
        1st Dam: Global Peace (Jpn), by Sunday Silence
        2nd Dam: Eminent Girl (GB), by Nashwan
        3rd Dam: Talented Girl (Jpn), by Remand (GB)
O-Masaru Shimada; B-Chiyoda Farm; T-Kiyotaka Tanaka; J-Norihiro Yokoyama; ¥93,822,000. Lifetime Record: 13-5-3-3, ¥354,917,000 (US$4,439,793). Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2--Donau Blue (Jpn), 121, f, 4, Deep Impact (Jpn)-- Donna Blini (GB), by Bertolini. O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm; ¥37,092,000.
3--Marcellina (Jpn), 121, f, 4, Deep Impact (Jpn)--Marbye (Ire), by Marju (Ire). O-Shadai Race Horse; B-Shadai Farm; ¥23,546,000.   
Margins: HF, 1 1/4, NO. Odds: 6.20, 13.00, 5.80.
Also Ran: Kyowa Jeanne (Jpn), Apapane (Jpn), Meine Isabel (Jpn), Queen's Barn (Jpn), Charm Pot (Jpn), Lady Alba Rosa (Jpn), A Shin Harbor, Animate Bio (Jpn), Rainbow Dahlia (Jpn), Spring Thunder (Jpn), Asuka Top Lady (Jpn), Fumino Imagine (Jpn), All That Jazz (Jpn), Grand Prix Angel (Jpn), Apricot Fizz (Jpn).
    Click for the Racing Post chart, the TVG.com PPs or the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree.
   Whale Capture earned a well-deserved first Group 1 success here after a trio of narrow top-level defeats in the past two seasons. A close-up second in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies in December of her 2-year-old year, Whale Capture came back to be beaten just 3/4 lengths when second again to Marcellina in the G1 Oka Sho (Japnese 1000 Guineas) at Hanshin last April. Classic success further eluded her in the G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) in May, when a neck separated her from winner Erin Court (Jpn) (Durandal {Jpn}) and runner-up Pure Brise (Jpn) (Monsun {Ger}). After a break, Whale Capture bounced back to win the G2 Kansai Tele Corp Sho Rose S. at Hanshin in September, but had to settle for a Group 1 placing once again when third by 2 1/2 lengths in the G1 Shuka Sho at Kyoto Oct. 16. Fourth behind the world-class Snow Fairy (Ire) (Intikhab) in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Kyoto Nov. 13, she looked in need of the run when fifth in the G3 Nakayama Himba S. in her 4-year-old bow Mar. 11, and was primed for a big effort here in her first start at less than nine furlongs since the Oka Sho. Breaking from stall 12, the gray filly was away alertly and soon maneuvered into the slipstream of the pacesetting Queen's Barn (Jpn) (Special Week {Jpn}). From there she just bided her time, waiting patiently as they made the left-hand turn into the stretch before angling out into the two path with the majority of the field bunching up just behind her. Jockey Norihiro Yokoyama asked Whale Capture in earnest a furlong out, and she quickly lengthened away to a daylight lead before gamely accounting for the late thrust of Donau Blue. The winner is likely to stay at the metric mile for the time being and is being pointed toward next month's 1600-meter G1 Yasuda Kinen. The heroine of last year's Victoria Mile, Apapane (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), was the 3-1 choice to get her first win since that event, but could do no better than fifth.